Enter Second Merchant, ANGELO,
and an Officer

Second
Merchant

You know since Pentecost
the sum is due,
And since I have not much importuned you;
Nor now I had not, but that I am bound
To Persia, and want guilders for my voyage:
Therefore make present satisfaction,
Or I'll attach you by this officer.

ANGELO

Even just the sum that I
do owe to you
Is growing to me by Antipholus,
And in the instant that I met with you
He had of me a chain: at five o'clock
I shall receive the money for the same.
Pleaseth you walk with me down to his house,
I will discharge my bond and thank you too.

[Enter ANTIPHOLUS of
Ephesus and DROMIO of Ephesus
from the courtezan's]

Officer

That labour may you save:
see where he comes.

ANTIPHOLUS
OF EPHESUS

While I go to the goldsmith's house, go thou
And buy a rope's end: that will I bestow
Among my wife and her confederates,
For locking me out of my doors by day.
But, soft! I see the goldsmith. Get thee gone;
Buy thou a rope and bring it home to me.

DROMIO OF
EPHESUS

I buy a thousand pound a
year: I buy a rope.

[Exit]

ANTIPHOLUS
OF EPHESUS

A man is well holp up that trusts to you:
I promised your presence and the chain;
But neither chain nor goldsmith came to me.
Belike you thought our love would last too long,
If it were chain'd together, and therefore came not.

ANGELO

Saving your merry humour,
here's the note
How much your chain weighs to the utmost carat,
The fineness of the gold and chargeful fashion.
Which doth amount to three odd ducats more
Than I stand debted to this gentleman:
I pray you, see him presently discharged,
For he is bound to sea and stays but for it.

ANTIPHOLUS
OF EPHESUS

I am not furnish'd with the present money;
Besides, I have some business in the town.
Good signior, take the stranger to my house
And with you take the chain and bid my wife
Disburse the sum on the receipt thereof:
Perchance I will be there as soon as you.

ANGELO

Then you will bring the
chain to her yourself?

ANTIPHOLUS
OF EPHESUS

No; bear it with you, lest I come not time enough.

ANGELO

Well, sir, I will. Have
you the chain about you?

ANTIPHOLUS
OF EPHESUS

An if I have not, sir, I hope you have;
Or else you may return without your money.

ANGELO

Nay, come, I pray you,
sir, give me the chain:
Both wind and tide stays for this gentleman,
And I, to blame, have held him here too long.

ANTIPHOLUS
OF EPHESUS

Good Lord! you use this dalliance to excuse
Your breach of promise to the Porpentine.
I should have chid you for not bringing it,
But, like a shrew, you first begin to brawl.

Second
Merchant

The hour steals on; I pray
you, sir, dispatch.

ANGELO

You hear how he importunes
me;--the chain!

ANTIPHOLUS
OF EPHESUS

Why, give it to my wife and fetch your money.

ANGELO

Come, come, you know I
gave it you even now.
Either send the chain or send me by some token.

ANTIPHOLUS
OF EPHESUS

Fie, now you run this humour out of breath,
where's the chain? I pray you, let me see it.

Second
Merchant

My business cannot brook
this dalliance.
Good sir, say whether you'll answer me or no:
If not, I'll leave him to the officer.

ANTIPHOLUS
OF EPHESUS

I answer you! what should I answer you?

ANGELO

The money that you owe me
for the chain.

ANTIPHOLUS
OF EPHESUS

I owe you none till I receive the chain.

ANGELO

You know I gave it you
half an hour since.

ANTIPHOLUS
OF EPHESUS

You gave me none: you wrong me much to say so.

ANGELO

You wrong me more, sir, in
denying it:
Consider how it stands upon my credit.

Second
Merchant

Well, officer, arrest him
at my suit.

Officer

I do; and charge you in
the duke's name to obey me.

ANGELO

This touches me in
reputation.
Either consent to pay this sum for me
Or I attach you by this officer.

ANTIPHOLUS
OF EPHESUS

Consent to pay thee that I never had!
Arrest me, foolish fellow, if thou darest.

ANGELO

Here is thy fee; arrest
him, officer,
I would not spare my brother in this case,
If he should scorn me so apparently.

Officer

I do arrest you, sir: you
hear the suit.

ANTIPHOLUS
OF EPHESUS

I do obey thee till I give thee bail.
But, sirrah, you shall buy this sport as dear
As all the metal in your shop will answer.

ANGELO

Sir, sir, I will have law
in Ephesus,
To your notorious shame; I doubt it not.

[Enter DROMIO of Syracuse,
from the bay]

DROMIO OF
SYRACUSE

Master, there is a bark of
Epidamnum
That stays but till her owner comes aboard,
And then, sir, she bears away. Our fraughtage, sir,
I have convey'd aboard; and I have bought
The oil, the balsamum and aqua-vitae.
The ship is in her trim; the merry wind
Blows fair from land: they stay for nought at all
But for their owner, master, and yourself.

ANTIPHOLUS
OF EPHESUS

How now! a madman! Why, thou peevish sheep,
What ship of Epidamnum stays for me?

DROMIO OF
SYRACUSE

A ship you sent me to, to
hire waftage.

ANTIPHOLUS
OF EPHESUS

Thou drunken slave, I sent thee for a rope;
And told thee to what purpose and what end.

DROMIO OF
SYRACUSE

You sent me for a rope's
end as soon:
You sent me to the bay, sir, for a bark.

ANTIPHOLUS
OF EPHESUS

I will debate this matter at more leisure
And teach your ears to list me with more heed.
To Adriana, villain, hie thee straight:
Give her this key, and tell her, in the desk
That's cover'd o'er with Turkish tapestry,
There is a purse of ducats; let her send it:
Tell her I am arrested in the street
And that shall bail me; hie thee, slave, be gone!
On, officer, to prison till it come.

[Exeunt Second Merchant,
Angelo, Officer, and
Antipholus of Ephesus]

DROMIO OF
SYRACUSE

To Adriana! that is where
we dined,
Where Dowsabel did claim me for her husband:
She is too big, I hope, for me to compass.
Thither I must, although against my will,
For servants must their masters' minds fulfil.